Hair Falling Treatment

Home :: Hair falling out

Why is My Hair Falling Out? Causes And Treatment of Hair Loss
Loss of hair at a very tender age has become a common disorder these days. It ca
uses a great deal of concern to persons affected by loss of hair, especially Ind
ian women who regard good hair growth, with thick long hair as a sign of beauty.
Hair is formed in minute pockets in the skin, called follicles. An up growth at
the base of the follicle, called the papilla, actually produces hair, when a spe
cial group of cells turn amino acids into keratin, a type of protein of which ha
ir is made. The rate of production of these protein "building blocks" determines
hair growth. The average growth rate is about 1.2 em per month, growing fastest
on women between the ages 15 and 30.
What are the causes of hair falling out?
The most important cause of loss of hair is inadequate nutrition. Even a partial
lack of almost any nutrient may cause hair to fall. Persons lacking vitamin B61
08e their hair and those deficient in folic acid often become completely bald. B
ut the hair grows normally after the liberal intake of these vitamins.
Another important cause of falling of hair is stress such as worry, anxiety and
sudden shock. Stress leads to a severe tension in the skin of the scalp. This adv
ersely affects the supply of essential nutrition required for the healthy growth
of the hair. General debility, caused by severe or long standing illnesses like
typhoid, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza and anemia, also gives rise to this
disorder. It makes the roots of the hair weak, resulting in the falling of hair.
Unclean condition of the scalp can also cause less of hair. It weakens the hair
roots by blocking the pores with the collected dirt. Heredity is another predis
posing factor which may cause hair to fall
Treatment of hair falling out
The healthy condition of the hair depends, to a very large extent, on the intake
of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet. Hair is made of
protein and adequate protein is necessary for luxuriant hair. Women require 60
grams, men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein. It is
supplied by milk, buttermilk, yogurt, soybean, eggs, cheese, meat and fish. A l
ack of vitamin A may cause the hair to be coarse and ugly. A deficiency. of some
of the B vitamins, of iron, copper and iodine may cause hair disorders like fal
ling of hair and premature greying.
Lack of inositol causes loss of hair. Any person having trouble with his or her
hair should eat foods rich in inositol such as yeast, liver and molasses. Resear
ch has, however, shown that women have a low requirement of inositol. Although t
his vitamin may help to stimulate the growth of a woman's hair, its lack is prob
ably not a major cause of slow growth. Women are generally deficient in iodine a
nd vitamin B1, either of which can slow down circulation to the scalp to such an
extent that hair may fall out and new hair grow in very slowly. Women who keep
their diets adequate in iodine, the B vitamins and iron have a better growth of
hair.
According to Adelle Davis, a world famous nutritionist, "Increasing the intake o
f protein, particularly of liver, wheat germ and yeast, and supplementing the di
et with a teaspoon of inositol daily usually stops a man's hair from falling, an
d I have seen three or four persons whose hair became thick after these improvem
ents were made."
Persons with a tendency to lose hair should thus take a well balanced and correc
t diet, made up of foods which in combination should supply all the essential nu
trients. It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of (i)
seeds, nuts and grains, (ii) vegetables, and (iii) fruits would provide adequate
amounts of all the essential nutrients. Each food group should roughly form the
bulk of one of the three principal. meals. These foods should, however, be supp
lemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils, honey, wheat g
erm, yeast and liver.
Home remedies for the treatment of falling hair
Several home remedies have been found useful in the prevention and treatment of
the loss of hair are.
* The most effective among these remedies is a vigorous rubbing of the scalp
with fingers after washing the hair with cold water. The scalp should be rubbed
vigorously till it starts to tingle with the heat. It will activate the sebaceo
us glands and energise the circulation of blood in the affected area, making the
hair grow healthy.
* Amla oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil, is consid
ered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth. A mixture of equal quantit
y of fresh amla juice and lime juice used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth an
d prevents hair loss.
* Lettuce (salad-ka-patta) is useful in preventing hair loss through deficie
ncies. A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is said to help the growth of hair
if it is drunk to the extent of half a litre a day. The juice of alfalfa (lucer
ne) in combination with carrot and lettuce juice, taken daily also helps the gro
wth of hair to a remarkable extent. The combination of these juices is rich in e
lements which are particularly useful for the growth of hair. While preparing al
falfa juice, the leaves of the plant only may be used when it can be obtained fr
esh.
* Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with limewater and lime jui
ce on the hair, prevents loss of hair and lengthens them. Application of the jui
ce of green coriander leaves on the head is also considered beneficial. Amaranth
, known as chaulai-ka-saag in the vernacular, is another valuable remedy.
* Mustard oil, boiled with henna leaves, is useful in healthy growth of hair
. About 250 grams of mustard oil should be boiled in tinned basin. A little quan
tity of henna leaves should be gradually put in this oil till about 60 grams of
these leaves are thus burnt in the oil. The oil should then be filtered through
a cloth and stored well in a bottle. A regular massage of the head with this oil
will produce abundant hair.
* Another effective home remedy for loss of hair is the application of cocon
ut milk all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair roots. It will nourish
the hair and promote hair growth. The coconut milk is prepared by grinding the
coconut shavings and squeezing it well.
* Washing the hair with a paste of cooked black gram dal, (urad dal) and fen
ugreek (methi) lengthens the hair. A fine paste made from pigeon pea or red gram
(arhar da!) can also be applied regularly with beneficial results on bald patch
es. Regular use of castor oil as hair oil helps the luxuriant growth of the hair
.
* Certain home remedies have also been found useful in case of patchy loss o
f hair. The seeds of lime and black pepper seeds, ground to get a fine paste, is
one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied on the patches, has mildly irr
itant action. This increases blood circulation in the affected area and stimulat
es hair growth. The paste should be applied twice a day for a few weeks.
* Another useful remedy for patchy loss of hair is the paste of liquorices (
mulethi) made by grinding the pieces in milk with a pinch of saffron. This paste
should be applied over the bald patches in the night before going to bed.